March 19, 2025 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s American Lobster Management Board approved Draft Addendum XXXII for public comment. Responding to economic concerns from the lobster industry, the Draft Addendum considers repealing all Addendum XXVII measures pertaining to gauge and escape vent size limits. Concurrently, the Gulf of Maine states will work closely with industry to identify alternative conservation strategies and will report back to the Board at upcoming quarterly meetings.
Under Addendum XXVII, changes to the current gauge and escape vent sizes in Lobster Conservation Management Areas (LCMAs) 1 (Gulf of Maine), 3 (federal offshore waters), and Outer Cape Cod were triggered based on observed declines in recruit abundance indices, with the original implementation date of June 1, 2024. In August 2024, the Board delayed the implementation date so that the series of changes to gauge and vent sizes, starting with an increase to the minimum gauge size in LCMA 1, would begin July 1, 2025.
Addendum XXVII aimed to increase protection of the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank spawning stock biomass through proactive conservation measures. While the overall stock condition is favorable according to the 2020 Benchmark Stock Assessment, persistent declines in the juvenile lobster population, and now in landings, remain a cause for concern. A new stock assessment is underway and will be completed this fall to provide updated information on the status of the resource.
Draft Addendum XXXII considers two options: full implementation of Addendum XXVII by July 1, 2025 or repealing all of its gauge and escape vent measures. The Draft Addendum does not consider changes to regulations prohibiting the issuance of 10% additional trap tags above the trap limit or allocation in LCMAs 1 and 3, nor to the v-notch possession definition provision of Addendum XXVII.
A press release will follow with details on the public hearing schedule and how to submit written comments. The Board will meet to review submitted comments and consider final action on the addendum at its next meeting. For more information, please contact Caitlin Starks, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at cstarks@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.